ARTICLE I. NAME

This organization is named the “Democratic Party of Craighead County.”  In these bylaws this organization is referred to as the DPCC or the “Party.”

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

Section 1. The purpose of the DPCC is to promote the principles of the Local, State and National Democratic Party, to elect Democrats who support these principles and to promote wide and active participation at the meetings and events of the Democratic Party.

Section 2. The DPCC shall manage, administer and operate, but not for profit, the affairs of the organization so as to achieve the goals of the Party in accordance with the “Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas” and all applicable laws.

Section 3. The DPCC may exercise all necessary and reasonable authority and complete such tasks deemed necessary, convenient, useful or incidental to the attainment of its purposes in accordance with the “Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas” and applicable laws.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. The DPCC shall consist of those who have openly declared their allegiance to, and are in good faith and sympathy with the fundamental principles, purposes, objectives, platforms and practices of the Democratic Party.

Section 2. The DPCC supports the broadest possible participation without discrimination. DPCC membership is open to all who abide by the requirements listed herein.

Section 3. DPCC members shall be registered to vote in Craighead County, in which they reside, having paid a membership fee and having completed an application to join the DPCC.

Section 4. Only a member of the DPCC may become a nominee of the Party or act as a DPCC officer or serve on any committee of the DPCC or participate in any Party convention.

Section 5. In order to vote one must be a DPCC member thirty (30) days prior to a vote.

Section 6. There shall be no limit to the number of members of the DPCC.

Section 7. The DPCC shall make available to current and prospective members a full description of the legal and practical procedures and qualifications as stated in the “Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas” and the DPCC Bylaws including the rules for filing for office and for the election of Party members, officers, and representatives. Said notifications shall be supplied with sufficient time to allow members to participate in such elections.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

Section 1.  Officers of the DPCC shall be elected and act in accordance with the Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas and the laws of the State of Arkansas.

Section 2.  Officers must be members of the DPCC in good standing.

Section 3.  DPCC officers must avoid public expressions of support, including campaign contributions, for candidates opposing Democratic nominees.

Section 4.  The membership of the DPCC shall convene Biennially in January, immediately after the General Election, for the purpose of electing officers. Terms shall be for two (2) years. The election shall be conducted in accordance with the “Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas.”

Section 5.  No person may hold more than one officer position in the DPCC at a time.

Section 6.  In electing DPCC officers, the current Chair shall preside over the election except for when the Chair is opposed for re-election; in which case the DPCC membership shall select a temporary Chair for purposes of administering the election. Upon election, officers shall assume their positions in the DPCC.

Section 7.  The officers of the DPCC shall be: Chair, Vice Chair (who shall be of the opposite gender of the Chair), Secretary, and Treasurer.

Section 8.  The Chair shall coordinate and lead the operations of the DPCC and its Officers and Committees. The Chair shall also perform the duties usual for a presiding officer including but not limited to: act as the spokesperson for the DPCC (or designate others to speak on behalf of the DPCC); serve as liaison between the State Committee and the DPCC; preside at all DPCC meetings; and perform other duties as assigned.

Section 9.  The Vice Chair shall assist the Chair and perform other duties as assigned. Should the Chair be unavailable, the Vice Chair shall temporarily assume the duties of Chair.

Section 10. The Secretary shall be responsible for preserving and maintaining the official records and property of the DPCC. Such duties include, but are not limited to: keeping accurate minutes of all DPCC meetings; complying with any reporting requirements of the DPA; performing duties usual to this office; and performing other duties as assigned.

Section 11. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the DPCC and shall perform all duties incident to the office of Treasurer in accordance with the law. Such duties include, but are not limited to: maintaining custody of the funds and securities of the DPCC; maintaining financial records as required; complying in a timely manner with all legal requirements relating to the receipt and disbursement of funds; completing all financial disclosure reports as required by the DPA or state law; and performing other duties as assigned.

Section 12. All DPCC records and materials held or administered by the officers are the property of the DPCC. Any officer, including but not limited to the secretary or treasurer, upon vacating their office for any reason, shall immediately surrender all DPCC records and materials in their possession to their successor or the DPCC Chair and/or the DPCC Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS OF THE DPCC MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. The membership of the DPCC shall meet monthly, except in December, and as required by state law.

Section 2. The meetings of the DPCC membership (hereafter “DPCC meetings”) are open to the public.

Section 3. When practical, notice of DPCC meetings shall be provided to all Party members by either mail or email at least five (5) days prior to the meeting. However, in case of an emergency, the DPCC may be convened on three (3) days’ notice.

Section 4. The news media within the County shall be informed as to the time and place of DPCC meetings.

Section 5. DPCC meetings may be canceled at the last minute by the Officers solely due to unforeseen circumstances.

Section 6. As far as practical, DPCC meetings shall be held in places accessible to all and with sufficient space to accommodate all interested persons.

Section 7. Special DPCC meetings may be called by the Chair or upon request of one-fifth (1/5) of the membership. The membership and the media shall be notified as to the time and place of such special meetings as detailed above.

Section 8. A quorum shall be deemed present unless one (1) member in good standing requests a count. Otherwise a quorum shall consist of twenty percent (20%) of the DPCC membership; however if the DPCC membership exceeds one-hundred (100) persons, ten percent (10%) of the DPCC membership shall constitute a quorum.

Section 9. Unless otherwise specified by these Bylaws, motions at the DPCC meetings shall be adopted by a simple majority of the members present. Action to adjourn shall take effect if adopted by a majority regardless of the number of members present.

ARTICLE VI. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE DPCC

Section 1. The Executive Committee of the DPCC shall consist of the Officers of the DPCC, the Immediate Past DPCC Chair, at-large Committee members and Ex Officio Committee members.

(a) The Committee’s at-large members shall be elected biannually.

(b) Subject to approval of the DPCC membership, the Immediate Past Chair of the DPCC shall serve as a voting member of the Committee.

(c) No Officer or member of the Executive Committee shall receive compensation for serving as such.

Section 2. Subject to the approval of the majority of the Executive Committee, the DPCC Chair may appoint Ex Officio members to the Committee. The Chairs of any duly authorized subcommittee of the DPCC, if not already a member of the Executive Committee, shall serve as an Ex Officio member of the Executive Committee.

Section 3. The Executive Committee shall meet monthly to conduct the routine business of the DPCC.

(a) Such business includes, but is not limited to: developing policies and procedures; approving a budget and expenditures; auditing DPCC finances; drafting resolutions for consideration by the DPCC membership; recommending sub-committee appointments; planning campaign and fundraising activities; and any other matter that may come before the Committee.

(b) A quorum shall be presumed present at all Executive Committee meetings unless one (1) voting Committee member requests a count; otherwise a quorum shall consist of fifty percent (50%) of the Executive Committee membership.

(c) Unless otherwise specified, any action taken by the Executive Committee shall be effective only if adopted by a simple majority of the Committee members present.

(d) Actions taken by the Committee shall be reported in a timely manner to the full membership of the DPCC.

(e) At any regular monthly DPCC meeting, the members may, if they deem appropriate, rescind any action(s) undertaken by the Executive Committee; any rescission shall be by a majority vote.

Section 4. Proxy voting shall not be allowed at Executive Committee meetings.

ARTICLE VII. SUB-COMMITTEES

Section 1. The Chair, subject to the approval of the majority of the Executive Committee, may establish sub-committees as needed to perform the duties and meet the objectives of the organization. Any member of the DPCC may serve on such sub-committees.

ARTICLE VIII. RESIGNATIONS

Section 1. Any Officer may resign at any time. Such a resignation does not automatically constitute a resignation from the DPCC unless so stated.

Section 2. Any member of the Executive Committee may resign from the Committee at any time. Such a resignation does not automatically constitute a resignation from the DPCC unless so stated.

Section 3. Any member of the DPCC may resign at any time.

Section 4. Resignations shall be in writing and shall take effect at the time designated therein; if no effective date is specified, the resignation shall be deemed effective upon receipt by the Chair or Secretary.

Section 5. If no written resignation is received, the position may be declared vacant by a vote of the DPCC membership. Written notice shall be sent to the affected person stating the effective date and reason for declaring the position vacant.

Section 6. In the event that any Officer or at-large member of the Executive Committee is unavailable to serve for any reason, the Chair (or Vice Chair if the Chair is the Officer affected) shall call a meeting of the DPCC membership within thirty (30) days for the purpose of electing a replacement.

(a) Notice of the election shall be provided to all DPCC members by either mail or email at least five (5) days prior to the date of the meeting.

(b) If a new Chair is elected and the current Vice Chair is not of the opposite gender, an election for a new Vice Chair (who shall be of the opposite gender of the New Chair) shall be held.

ARTICLE IX. FINANCES

Section 1. The DPCC is a not for profit organization.

Section 2. The fiscal year for the DPCC shall run from January 1 to December 31.

Section 3. DPCC funds may be used for activities within Craighead County to:

(a) Operate the DPCC.

(b) Maintain the DPCC Headquarters;

(c) Promote the general election of Democratic Party Candidates;

(d) Promote the Democratic Party of Arkansas; and

(e) Promote the Democratic National Committee in general.

Section 4. Expenditures of DPCC funds shall be approved by the Executive Committee.

Section 5. All officers, Executive Committee members and sub-committee members serve as volunteers and shall not be reimbursed from DPCC funds for travel or other personal expenses incurred while serving the DPCC.

Section 6. No income or assets of the DPCC shall be paid to any of its members except for the reimbursement of actual DPCC operational expenses and only with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 7. Contributions to Democratic candidates for their General Election shall be made only to those candidates facing an opponent.

Section 8. The Executive Committee shall approve an annual budget for the DPCC no later than December 31 of the prior year or as soon as may be reasonably possible thereafter. DPCC Officers shall be authorized to make those expenditures detailed in the approved budget without any further action by the Executive Committee.

Section 9. Until a budget for a given term is approved, the Executive Committee shall be authorized to operate the DPCC pursuant to the budget for the immediately preceding term.

Section 10. As may be deemed necessary, the Executive Committee, by majority vote, may revise the DPCC annual budget at any time.

Section 11. The Executive Committee shall conduct a systematic assessment the DPCC finances during their monthly meetings.

ARTICLE X. VOTES

Section 1. Votes shall not be taken by secret ballot at any DPCC meeting except upon request of by a DPCC member in good standing.

Section 2. Proxy voting at DPCC meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas.

ARTICLE XII. ELECTION COMMISSIONER(S)

DPCC election commissioner(s) shall be elected in accordance with the Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas.

ARTICLE XIII. GRIEVANCES

Resolution of grievances shall be conducted in accordance with the Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas.

ARTICLE XIV. POLICES AND PROCEDURES

Section 1. The Executive Committee may enact or amend any existing “Policies and Procedures” deemed necessary for the orderly functioning and day-to-day administration of the DPCC.

Section 2. The DPCC’s “Policies and Procedures” shall be in writing.

Section 3. The DPCC’s “Policies and Procedures” shall be available to all DPGC members for inspection and review.

Section 4. If deemed appropriate, the DPCC membership may rescind any portion of the DPCC’s “Policies and Procedures” as per Article VI, Section 3(e) of these Bylaws.

ARTICLE XV. PARLIMENTARY AUTHORITY

Subject to the Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas and these Bylaws, all meetings shall be conducted according to the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order for Small Groups.

ARTICLE XVI. AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Proposals to change or amend these Bylaws shall be referred to the Executive Committee for review and comment.

Section 2. Within sixty (60) days of receipt, the Executive Committee shall formulate a recommendation on whether to adopt the proposal. The Committee shall then forward the proposal and their recommendation onto the membership for action.

Section 3. Approval or rejection of the proposal shall then be considered at either the next regular DPCC meeting or at a special DPCC meeting called specifically for that purpose.

Section 4. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present at a DPCC meeting, provided written notice setting forth the proposed amendment(s) have been sent by email or mail to all DPCC members at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.

Section 5. These Bylaws shall be in full force and effect upon their adoption and shall supersede all bylaws, rules, motions and policies enacted by the DPCC or any of its prior entities.

Section 6. In the event any provision(s) of these Bylaws are contrary to the Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, now or as may hereafter be in effect, the Rules of the Democratic Party of Arkansas shall supersede said provision(s).

ARTICLE XVII. DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution of the DPCC, all assets and real and personal property of the DPCC and its committees shall revert to the Treasury of the Democratic Party of Arkansas.

Bylaws enacted by the Democratic Party of Craighead County on 09/24/2019.